Bestsellers: James Patterson and Frank McCourt Top List

Week of November 21, 2005

According to the New York Times, Mary, Mary by James Patterson tops the list for fiction sales this week, while Frank McCourt's Teacher Man takes top billing in non-fiction this week. These books are both new this week.

Michael Crichton's State of Fear tops the list of paperback fiction sales, and A Million Little Pieces by James Frey remains at the top of the paperback non-fiction pile (perhaps glued in place by the golden seal of Oprah's Book Club).

In the children's section, look for the beautifully-illustrated Winter's Tale by Robert Sabuda, and (of course) the reprise of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, nicely timed for the DVD release of the animated movie featuring the voice of Tom Hanks.

This Week	Last Week	Best-selling FICTION from the NYT List
1	N	Mary, Mary, by James Patterson. The F.B.I. agent Alex Cross tracks a Hollywood killer who announces the crimes via e-mail.
2	3	Predator, by Patricia Cornwell. On the trail of a possible serial killer, Dr. Kay Scarpetta turns to a jailed psychopath for advice. (4th week on list)
3	2	Light from Heaven, by Jan Karon. Father Tim's bishop asks him to revive a long-closed mountain church; the final novel in the Mitford series. (2nd week on list.)
4	4	At First Sight, by Nicholas Sparks. The young couple from "True Believer," who are now expecting a child, receive a disturbing message. (5th week on list.)
5	4	The Camel Club, by David Baldacci. (Warner, $26.95.) A group of eccentric conspiracy theorists stumbles across an actual plot reaching to the highest levels of government. (4th week on list.)

This Week	Last Week	Best-selling NON-FICTION from the NYT List
1	N	Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt. The author of Angela's Ashes remembers his years teaching high school English in New York City.
2	2	Team Of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The political genius of Abraham Lincoln is revealed in his relationship with his cabinet. (4th week on list)
3	1	Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter. The former president warns against blurring politics and fundamentalist religion. (3rd week on list.)
4	4	The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion. The author attempts to come to terms with the death of her husband and the grave illness of their only daughter. (7th week on list.)
5	3	The World is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman. A columnist for The New York Times analyzes 21st-century economics and foreign policy and presents an overview of globalization trends. (33rd week on list.)

This Week	Last Week	Best-selling CHILDREN'S BOOKS from the NYT List
1	2	Winter's Tale, written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda. The coldest season, as illustrated by an expert pop-up engineer. (All ages, 8th week on list.)
2	1	A Family of Poems, by Caroline Kennedy. Illustrated by Jon J. Muth. From Lewis Carroll to Langston Hughes, an anthology of children's verse. (Ages 9 to 12, 12th week on list)
3	4	Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs, by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. A pop-up dinosaur compendium. (Ages 5 and up, 18th week on list.)
4	3	Fairyopolis, a Flower Fairies Journal, written and illustrated by Cicely Mary Barker. Fairies I have known; the 1923 sketchbook and diary of a supernaturalist. (Ages 8 and up, 3rd week on list.)
5	N	The Polar Express, Special Gift Edition, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. A small boy's magical train ride on Christmas Eve, book accompanied by CD read by Liam Neeson. (Ages 4 to 8, first week on list.)

For Christmas purchases that are likely to please a reader, you can't go far wrong with a selection from the NYT lists. To check out the expanded catalog of bestsellers, you'll need to register (free) at The New York Times online.

Be sure to check out the Blogcritics feature Next Week in the Bookstore (New Books) for choices that (while not bestsellers — yet) are unlikely to already be resting on your reader's bookshelf.
0743243773,031615976X,0399152830,0670034533,
0446532428,0446577383,0684824906,0743284577,
140004314X,0374292884,0689853637,0786851112,
0763622281,0723257248,0618477977


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